Harrisburg- Today, the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) Pennsylvania State Council, which represents 80,000 workers statewide–including property service workers, health care workers, public service workers, school employees, laundry and distribution workers —announced its list of endorsed candidates for the 2018 Primary Election.

In the face of unprecedented attacks on working families, SEIU has endorsed champions who will join in the fight to help more Pennsylvanians join and form unions. Thousands of Pennsylvania SEIU members will get involved in political action this year to remind voters, candidates and elected officials that Pennsylvania needs unions to build the middle class.

“The Conor Lamb victory and wave of teachers’ strikes have shown that union members are using their voices at the ballot box and the bargaining table to make life better for all working families,” said Gabe Morgan, President of the SEIU Pennsylvania State Council and Vice President of 32BJ SEIU. “SEIU members across the commonwealth have endorsed these candidates to rewrite the rules to make it easier for working people to join together in unions to rebalance our economy that has been rigged to favor big corporations.”

In the coming months, the U.S. Supreme Court will decide on Janus v. AFSCME, a case that could reverse decades of labor protections for public sector workers. SEIU, the second largest union of public service employees in the U.S., has been fighting back against these attacks and continues to organize thousands of workers and raise wages for millions of Americans.

SEIU members are also fighting to adopt the Fight for Fair PA agenda, which in addition to allowing more Pennsylvanians join and form unions, is a proactive vision that promotes a better and fairer commonwealth for all Pennsylvanians. Endorsed candidates will join SEIU in its fight for $15 and union rights for workers, ensuring that our schools and human service programs are adequately funded, instituting much needed protections for the LGBTQ community and spearheading reforms to ensure that our criminal justice system operates in a more fair and equitable manner.

“2018 has generated the largest pool of congressional and statehouse candidates in recent memory. SEIU members are thrilled about the vast number of progressive-minded candidates who are running on platforms that mirror our core principles,” added Steve Catanese, President of SEIU Local 668.

The SEIU State Council is comprised of SEIU Local 32BJ, SEIU Healthcare Pennsylvania, SEIU Local 668, and the Pennsylvania Joint Board of Workers United.

The following is the list of the SEIU Pennsylvania State Council’s endorsed candidates: